Expectations
by Quippet
Summary: Klaus' grin widened, exposing a row of perfectly straight, white teeth and nestled in among them- his noticeably sharper canines. Caroline shivered unconsciously. There was something perpetually dangerous about him. The way he walked, the way he spoke; it all seemed incredibly controlled. Almost as though he was at risk of exploding at any moment. "I'm talking about a truce."
1. Chapter 1

"Well that was…interesting."

Caroline rolled her eyes at the younger of the two Salvatore brothers, "Tell me, Stefan- did you by any chance happen to invent the word 'under-exaggeration'? Because calling what just happened in there _interesting _is literally the understatement of the century!"

Stefan allowed himself a crooked smile.

She was right.

In his hundred and sixty five years of being a vampire, nothing could have prepared him for what he and Caroline had been met with when they entered the Mikaelson estate. He looked back over his shoulder at the imposing architecture as they walked down the driveway. Earlier in the day, both of them had been convinced the ornate columns that framed the front entrance would be the last thing they would ever see.

"I mean I know you've got this whole brooding, tortured soul thing going for you, but could you allow yourself just a second of-" Caroline faltered, unsure of how to continue.

"Of what, Caroline? Of excitement? Of relief?" Stefan turned toward the blonde vampire and put his hands on her shoulders, successfully stopping her in her tracks, "I don't know what you think happened in that house, but it's nothing to be happy about."

Caroline watched as her friend's eyes darkened and the crease between his brows became more prominent. Her own brow furrowed as she covered one of his hands with her own,

"Hey, stop with the frowning it'll give you wrinkles," another lop-sided grin worked its way slowly across Stefan's face, matching her own as she shrugged out of his grip and continued her path down the drive way.

"Besides," she called back irritably over her shoulder, intentionally loud enough he was sure, so the occupant of the house would hear her, "At the very least we don't have to worry about any more ancient, ill-mannered, sociopathic hybrids killing us all in our sleep for the time being!"

Caroline thought she caught a low chuckle emanating from the mansion as she unlocked her car and settled herself in the driver's seat, but it was over as quickly as it started so she couldn't be sure. She watched carefully as Stefan took one last look at the estate before turning and getting in beside her. As she put the car in gear, Caroline hoped she was right about not having to worry. They already had enough on their plate as it was.

She thought back over what had happened in the last few hours as she watched the manor grow smaller and smaller in her rear view mirror.

* * *

Caroline shifted uncomfortably on the dark leather sofa. Her eyes darted around the room. It was impeccably decorated, of course. Leave it to the constant thorn in her side to have the most lavish sitting room she'd ever laid eyes on. All the extravagance was making her feel incredibly out of place. In an attempt to distract herself from the impending doom that would surely be sauntering through the door at any moment, she decided to just take it all in. The high ceilings, the exposed beams, the massive stone fireplace, the rustic furniture and fixtures… It all whispered of wealth and history. Nearly eleven hundred year old history, if she had her dates right.

Her eyes landed on the chair Stefan was reclining in. She caught his tense gaze for a split second, just long enough for him to give her a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. A silent 'please calm down', if you will. Her nervousness was setting him on edge, she could feel it. Caroline Forbes took a deep breath. They could do this. What could possibly go wrong?

"Well, well, well- what do we have here?" Klaus' unmistakable drawl came from directly behind her. "Why if it isn't my favourite Salvatore. And look! He's brought along my greatest admirer…"

Caroline's head whipped around in surprise, her blonde curls subtly catching the sunlight filtering through the windows. There, on the threshold, stood Niklaus Mikaelson. His easy smirk and relaxed posture made her grit her teeth in annoyance; he didn't look like he had a care in the world! How could he be so damned relaxed with everything that was going on? Between Jeremy being dead, Elena switching off her humanity, and a face-less Silas being on the loose pitching hallucinations at them willy-nilly, she could barely keep a blood bag down.

But no, none of this was of any concern to the great and powerful Klaus. He just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning lazily on the door frame with a roguish grin playing about his lips as if all were well and good in the world. Caroline knew that couldn't be the case though, or else why would Klaus have invited- rather, ordered them here?

It wasn't until she was finished with her inner monologue that Caroline noticed his eyes were fixed firmly on her. Ignoring her initial urge to squirm uneasily, she squared her shoulders and sat up straighter,

"Oh enough with the niceties Klaus. Tell us why you forced us to come here and make it snappy- I've got better things to do than hang around in your big, creepy house all day."

The jab at his home made Caroline feel oddly better. She relaxed into her seat contentedly, mirroring Klaus' care-free stance. He grinned wickedly at her, moving forward into the room with long, comfortable strides,

"Creepy, is it love? All I happen to see is you making yourself perfectly comfortable on my settee."

He made his way around her as she frowned and sat back up, perching herself on the edge of her seat as though touching as little of the couch as possible would somehow nullify his comment. She opened her mouth to retort but Stefan cut her off quickly. He was in no mood for their bickering.

"Klaus, what is all this about?"

The hybrid came to stand beside a tall window framed by long, heavy curtains. As he looked out through the glass, a strange look passed over his face. It was so fleeting that Caroline thought she had imagined it. What was it? Hesitation? Uncertainty? That couldn't be right, this was Klaus; the only things he felt were evil and more evil.

As if he could hear her thoughts, the hybrid turned suddenly towards her, eyes pinning her to the spot. Caroline gulped. For a moment, she sincerely hoped he hadn't called them here to break the news of his new mind reading abilities. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. The corner of Klaus' mouth turned up in amusement,

"I see you're just as patient as ever, Ripper," Stefan's jaw twitched at the mention of his old nick name, but Klaus took no notice.

"I've asked you both to be here –" Caroline interrupted, scoffing loudly at the implication that Klaus would ask anyone for anything, "- because I feel as though we can mutually benefit one another."

Stefan and Caroline exchanged looks. What on earth was he talking about…?

"By benefit one another, you mean what exactly?" Asked Stefan cautiously. He had seen every trick in Klaus' repertoire time and time again. If this was some sort of hoax, Stefan was sure he would be able to spot it immediately.

Klaus' grin widened, exposing a row of perfectly straight, white teeth and nestled in among them- his noticeably sharper canines. Caroline shivered unconsciously. There was something perpetually dangerous about him. The way he walked, the way he spoke; it all seemed incredibly controlled, like he was at risk of exploding at any moment. He turned away from the window to face them.

"I'm talking about a truce."

Caroline gaped openly at him. A truce? Between him and- who exactly?

"Between myself and you and all of your little friends, of course."

Oops… had she said that aloud? Drat.

Caroline's shocked expression morphed into one of extreme amusement. Klaus' smirk fell from his face as he raised an eye brow in her direction. Coupled with the ridiculous idea of her friends siding with Klaus for any reason whatsoever and his quizzical expression- Caroline couldn't stop the laugh that escaped from between her lips. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, somewhat horrified at her behaviour. He was an original vampire, immortal hybrid, evil bad-guy thing. Laughing at him when he extended the olive branch was going to do nothing but get her in trouble.

Luckily for her, Stefan was a tad more composed.

"You want to propose a truce?" He said, obviously confused. This wasn't one of Klaus' usual ruses, "Why?"

Klaus' eyes flicked from Caroline to Stefan, pausing on his former partner in crime. He walked toward the two of them slowly, deliberately, his expression completely blank. Caroline's mirth quickly subsided at the sight of him stalking closer and closer. If there was one thing she didn't care to see, it was an indestructible hybrid that could kill her with a flick of his wrist prowling toward her. She turned to face him. No, she would not be wussy-Caroline.

She stuck her chin out at him defiantly in an attempt to convince him he wasn't intimidating her, but failed to notice that her death grip on the cushion she was seated on was giving away her discomfort. If she was still alive her heart would have been in her throat, pounding a mile a minute. Klaus stopped when he was sure he was far too close for comfort, using the sight of Caroline's delicate fingers digging into his expensive leather couch as a gage,

"Well, isn't it obvious?" He mused while eyeing the uneasy blonde. He grinned smugly as a result of Caroline's reaction. Turning toward Stefan, they locked eyes, distrust emanating from the younger vampire in waves; it was so palpable Klaus could almost feel it,

"I want Silas dead."

* * *

"Sorry…say that one more time?"

Bonnie was incredulous. There was absolutely _no way_ Klaus had waved the white flag. None.

Zip.

Zero.

Zilch.

Klaus had been actively trying to kill every single one of her friends from the moment he stepped foot in Mystic Falls. He expected them to believe just because some immortal, all-powerful vampire had taken an interest in their little town that they needed his help? Heck no. They had done fine on their own without him and his hybrids for this long; in fact they would have been better off without them in the first place.

Her best friend must have been hallucinating. Bonnie extended her arm and laid her palm on Caroline's forehead. It was cool, as it should have been. She didn't think vampires could catch cold but there was always a first for-

"Bonnie!" Caroline swatted her hand away gently, careful to not accidentally hurt her. The dark skinned witch at least had the sense to look sheepish. She sat back against the couch and smiled guiltily,

"Sorry Care, but do you hear yourself right now? You sound crazy! If I hadn't heard it from both you _and _Stefan…"

The blonde vampire took a moment to try and picture herself in Bonnie's shoes. Her friend was right, if she had come to her spouting gibberish about Klaus and truces, she probably wouldn't believe it either. Stefan chose this moment to interject,

"Trust me Bonnie, I barely believe it myself. But that's what happened."

"And what if Mr. Psycho-Hybrid is just trying to, oh I don't know… lull us into a false sense of security and then pick everyone off one by one?" Damon added helpfully as he sauntered over to the fireplace to poke at the flames. His eyes glittered darkly in the crackling light,

"That's what I'd do if I were him."

Stefan shot his brother a biting glare,

"Well would you rather we have declined his offer of a cease-fire? I'm sure that would have ended really well. At least Caroline and I wouldn't have had to watch all of you get picked off, we'd have been the first ones to go."

Damon glowered and strode over to a table filled with ornate glass decanters, picking one up and taking a swig straight from the bottle. Caroline winced internally as the two brothers began arguing heatedly.

Stefan was right though… Klaus had left them no choice but to accept his terms. He had called them to his house and used their own lives as insurance policies. If they had declined, he would have-

Caroline paused.

He would have what? Killed them?

She frowned to herself. Oddly enough she didn't think Klaus' end game was to get rid of them, no matter what Bonnie seemed to think. He'd been given more than enough chances as it was, and yet somehow the only real casualty they'd suffered was Jeremy. Caroline looked down at her hands sadly and fidgeted with a bracelet on her wrist. It was hard to think about Jeremy; about how just a couple of weeks ago he was training with Damon to become a hunter, about how Elena was so proud of him. Speaking of Elena…

Caroline's eyes darted around the room. Bonnie was still seated on the couch next to her; Damon and Stefan were now in front of the hearth, arguing animatedly. She could have sworn Elena was here when they broke the news. She turned toward the two brothers,

"Hey did anybody see where Elena went?"

The Salvatore's broke away from each other Damon choosing to plop down on a plush leather chair and continue drowning his sorrows. Stefan glanced around the living room and frowned when he didn't see the brunette vampire.

"She probably got bored and wandered off," Damon offered between mouthfuls of amber liquid, "You know how she's been lately, very off in her own world."

"You don't think she should know what's going on?" Stefan challenged.

Damon sat up straighter on his chair, "Of course I think she should know what's going on, but that doesn't mean she's going to _care_."

"Well of course she wouldn't care, you told her to turn off her humanity; how could she?"

"Hey she was better off without it! You saw how she was, what do you think she would have done if-"

"Alright we get it!" Caroline had had enough of the brothers' squabbling, "You two don't see eye to eye on things when it comes to Elena, you never have and you probably never will- but we've got more important issues right now! Did anyone forget about this peace treaty with Klaus? Let's worry about that for a second."

Truth be told Caroline was drawing close to her wits end when it came to her friend Elena. She was tired of always having to babysit her so she didn't go on a Ripper-Rampage, as Damon had become so fond of calling it. She stood up and ran her fingers through her locks,

"Look. We need to decide if we can trust Klaus or not," She turned to Bonnie, who's brow was knit in concern. Caroline didn't blame her. She had been displaying… supernatural trust issues as of late, especially since Jeremy had-

No. She wouldn't think about that right now. She turned toward Stefan and gave him a pleading look,

"We need help if we're going to have any hope of beating Silas, Stefan. You know that."

Damon snorted helpfully into his now empty bottle.

Caroline shot a scathing look his way and continued,

"I say we throw caution to the wind and just do it. He's got resources we don't have, he's got knowledge we don't have, and it doesn't hurt that he can't be killed either." She gave Bonnie a small, reassuring smile, "If we get into trouble, we'll just offer him up first so we have time to run away."

"Ah Caroline, ever the optimist." Came a smug voice from the doorway.

Everyone in the room turned to see a smirking Elena tread down the stairs, her long brown locks swaying behind her. Damon frowned,

"And where have you been missy?"

She barely spared him a glance, choosing instead to focus solely on her blonde friend situated in the center of the room. Damon glowered at her apparent lack of interest. She waltzed leisurely over to Caroline and stopped just in front of her. The two girls were nearly nose to nose. Caroline gulped unconsciously at the proximity; she knew it was her friend standing in front of her, but as of late she had hardly been acting like herself. Elena's grin widened.

"I'm with blondie," she turned and plucked the empty bottle out of Damon's hands, setting it on the table gently, "We'll never know until we try."

Caroline stared at Elena like she'd grown a second head. Where was this easy compliance coming from? She wasn't entirely sure her sudden aggreeance was a good thing. The brunette turned to look at Stefan,

"Well? What about you? How do you think we should go about this oh gloomy one?"

He frowned, "I think Caroline's right."

Now everyone was looking at him like _he_was the one who'd grown the second head. What was this? Mr. Look-Before-You-Leap was actually agreeing to team up with Klaus? Caroline's thoughts flashed back to Bonnie feeling her forehead. Maybe vampires could get sick…

"We've already got enough to worry about, and taking Klaus off that list for the time being can't hurt. We just need to be smart about this; not actively trying to kill him isn't the same as trusting him. Nobody get that confused." His eyes seemed to linger on Caroline when he said that, causing a subtle pink flush to creep up her neck.

It was no secret, Klaus' apparent… fondness of her. She'd gotten so used to it she sometimes forgot, but Stefan never did. He didn't trust the ancient hybrid, and he would remind her of his distaste for him every chance he got.

Her eyes looked anywhere but his, but she soon discovered his wasn't the only reproachful gaze she was under. Bonnie, Damon and even Elena were looking at her with something akin to disapproval. Her own eyes widened and her jaw dropped in affront,

"What?! I _don't_ trust the guy, jeez! Would all of you quit looking at me like I'm going to go running into his arms or something?"

Bonnie blushed and glanced away, "Sorry, sorry. But he does have a weird soft spot for you."

Caroline huffed. Well that wasn't _her_ fault. Klaus was clearly severely mentally unbalanced- his partiality to her was probably just his way of saying, 'Hello there, nice to see you, I'm quite looking forward to ripping out your heart sometime in the near future.' Thankfully, Stefan saved her from having to come to her own defense,

"Regardless, we all have to learn to be civil with him. We're going to help one another get rid of Silas, and when that's done-" He trailed off, unsure of what would happen when their mutual enemy was dealt with. Right now they were dealing with a 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' sort of situation, but what would happen once that was over? Would they go back to trying to exterminate each other?

Stefan shook his head slightly to banish the thought.

It would do them no good to speculate on what Klaus may or may not do in the future.

He looked around the room at his brother, Elena, Bonnie and Caroline.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on finding a way to stop Silas."

* * *

Klaus bore a small grin as he watched Caroline and Stefan drive off. He wondered how their friends would react to the news of their new partnership.

He turned away from the window and made his way through the manor, up an enormous staircase and into his drawing room on the second floor. The walls were lined with half-finished paintings and multiple easels were set up with various sized canvases perched upon them. His eyes roamed over the different pieces appreciatively as he thought back to his conversation with the two young vampires.

Their initial response had been what he had expected- incredulity, suspicion, disbelief.

The corners of his lips twitched upward as he remembered the reaction of a certain blonde. The way her blue eyes had widened in shock, how she had been unable to contain her amusement at his suggestion; her visceral reaction to his proximity when he had moved closer to them. He smirked as he recalled the way she had clutched at her seat; it was incredibly satisfying to watch her squirm under his gaze.

He found he often caught himself pondering over the young vampire. She was… intriguing. Nearly everyone he met, whether they were a vampire, werewolf, witch or otherwise, conveyed an obviously healthy fear of him. It was blatantly clear his company set people on edge. Maybe that was the true hybrid curse.

But Caroline, who still showed a respectful level of unease in his presence, was different than the others. While most would cower at the very mention of his name, she wasn't afraid to lob offenses at him. An ancient, ill-mannered, sociopath was he? He couldn't exactly contend that.

Klaus walked over to a small desk in the corner of the room and ran a hand across its dark, polished surface. Caroline's behaviour toward him was unsettling at times. While the change of pace was refreshing, he wasn't entirely certain it was a good thing. It had already interfered with how he had dealt with her in the past; more than once he had allowed her to get away with things he knew he shouldn't have. He had killed more important people over much less. How was it affecting the way others regarded him? He glowered and opened the top drawer. He lifted a sheet of paper from its depths and studied it carefully. She was a nuisance that could snowball into a much bigger problem at a moments notice. If that was true, then why couldn't he get rid of her?

"Nik, are you quite finished with your company yet? I'm hungry."

His sister's voice startled him out of his musings. He turned to see her lounging against the door frame looking quite unimpressed. Frowning at himself for not hearing her approach, he looked at the drawing in his hand and crumpled it into a ball with a squeeze of his fist. Facing her, he raised an eyebrow,

"Yes Rebekah, I am finished with our new allies. Now I'm sure I don't have to remind you that taking a bite out of any of them wouldn't exactly be in our best interest," He allowed a hint of warning to creep into his voice. He would not stand for his impulsive sister mucking up his plans, "Do I?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes contemptuously, "No Nik, you do not have to remind me. I'm perfectly capable of riddling that one out myself, thank you very much. Now are you coming with me or not?"

Klaus relaxed slightly and allowed himself a small smile. He walked over to his sister and tossed the paper ball in a bin next to her without a second thought.

"Of course. Now, who shall we have to eat?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! Sorry about the super slow update, my Microsoft Word crashed and it didn't occur to me until a few days ago that I could still write in the documents editor. Way to go brain. Thank you so much to Justine, Champagnekiss and Echidna's Pen for the reviews! That actually made my day guys haha. Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

"This is impossible!"

Caroline groaned and allowed her head to thunk down onto the table in front of her.

Bonnie smiled sympathetically from her post across from the blonde and reached over the large oak table to remove the tattered book she held in her hands. She tried to offer her some measure of comfort,

"I know it seems that way right now, but-"

"But what?" Caroline snapped, tilting her head and looking up at her from under a mass of blonde curls,

"Every single thing we've found on Silas, which isn't a lot if you haven't noticed, has only mentioned two things about him."

She snatched the book back from the young witch and stood up from the table, reading sardonically from its stained pages,

"'_-known as the 'invincible being', Silas-_'blah, blah yeah okay, '-_absolute in his extreme power-_' oh alright thanks, I didn't get it the first _hundred _times!"

Caroline tossed the book down in frustration,

"In case you weren't paying attention, we know that he's indestructible, and that he can kick all of our asses with his pinky finger. So what is this magical 'but' you were talking about? Is it 'but Caroline, I have a secret Silas death serum!' or 'but it says here if you throw water on him he melts!' because if it isn't either of those, I don't want to hear it."

Her tirade finished, she plopped down, defeated, in the chair next to Bonnie and looked at her apologetically. She sighed,

"Bonnie I'm sorry I didn't -"

Her friend waved it off. She was more than used to Caroline's outbursts. Though they were usually about one event or another that she had agreed to organize; the flower arrangements were wrong, the catering company didn't bring cutlery, her dress had an itchy bit under the arm- things like that. Bonnie regarded her as the blonde vampire fiddled with one of the bracelets on her wrist, a nervous habit she had developed over the years. More often than not a quick pep talk was all she needed to calm her down and get her back on her feet, but this time…

Bonnie laid a hand on Caroline's to stop her fidgeting.

"I know it seems impossible, Care. I've been right here with you for how many days now? Reading the same things you are, feeling the same way you feel. If there's a way to beat Silas, this is the way we're going to find it," she swept her arm over the table, gesturing at the heaps of ancient scrolls and time worn books they'd been combing through, "Of course it's not going to be easy, but you've made it through worse than this!" The blonde vampire didn't look convinced, so Bonnie continued, "Remember the night of the semi-formal dance in sophomore year?"

Caroline bit her lip to hold back a grin and nodded, "When I thought I was madly in love with that transfer student from Europe?"

Bonnie smiled, "So madly in love that you researched anything and everything there was to know about Italy for weeks before hand? And then when he didn't ask you, you learned how to say 'will you go to the dance with me' in Italian."

Caroline giggled, "_Andrai al ballo con me?_ Oh I'll never forget it. And the worst part was-"

Bonnie cut her off, "He wasn't Italian!"

The two girls collapsed into a fit of glee, leaning on each other for support as they laughed uproariously. Every time their chuckles seemed to taper off, they would catch each other's eye, which would in turn spark another round of roguish giggles. It had been a long time since they had laughed like this together, and as they finally began to calm down, Caroline allowed herself to bask in the afterglow of their mirth. Sometimes she really missed the good old days, when it was just herself, Bonnie and Elena talking about shoes and boys in one of their respective bedrooms. The greatest concern any of them had was something akin to who would be bringing the popcorn to their weekly movie night. Back when when they had no knowledge of the darker things the world held; let alone when they actually _were _the darker things.

As the girls wiped the latent tears from their eyes, Caroline let a small sigh escape from her lips. Bonnie's brown eyes found her own and an unspoken current of understanding passed between the two old friends. She put her hand on Bonnie's knee, who responded by placing her own overtop and giving her friend a reassuring squeeze. It was nice to know no matter what happened, regardless of who started drinking blood or began fiddling with dangerous magic; they would always have each other.

"I apologize for interrupting, ladies…"

The girls yelped in surprise, and simultaneously pulled away from each other as they twisted toward the disruption.

The big bad hybrid himself strolled into Bonnie Bennett's house as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Bonnie placed a hand over her heart in an attempt to slow her rapid pulse and Caroline shot a heated glare in Klaus' direction as his dark eyes scanned the books thrown half-hazardly across the surface of the table. That was the second time he'd nearly scared her out of her skin by sneaking up on her. She scowled slightly to herself, vowing to not let it develop into a habit.

"Oh come now, love. Wipe that sour look off your pretty face," Klaus smirked at Caroline, somewhat pleased with himself for provoking such a reaction from them both, "Do tell what you've managed to come up with after suffering through all of these tiresome volumes."

Bonnie glared daggers at him as he casually ran a finger across the cover of a particularly large tome.

"How did you get in here?" She spat at the hybrid, clearly unnerved by how easily he had circumnavigated her magical defenses, "I've cast spells that-"

Klaus' eyes shot over to land on the dark haired witch, the menacing look they held instantly silencing any protests Bonnie was about to voice. Her mouth snapped shut as she wisely chose to glower furiously at him instead. Klaus may have been, for lack of a better word, an _ally, _at the moment but Bonnie knew that wasn't mutually exclusive with refraining from killing her if he so chose. He was still an extremely temperamental, primeval, vampire-werewolf cross breed who had never particularly liked her. Caroline on the other hand…

"Excuse me? Who do you think you are just barging in here like this?" Caroline snapped contemptuously, her brows knit together in aggravation.

Bonnie looked her friend in alarm. What was she doing?! Her eyes rebounded back to Klaus to glean his reaction. His face was completely blank. She didn't think that was a particularly good thing…"Care-"

"No! This is _your _house, and he can't just show up here whenever he wants like he owns the place!"

Caroline stood up from her chair and stalked around the table toward him, ignoring his vacant expression entirely. She was past the point of caring at the moment. It had been at his instruction that she and Bonnie had been sequestered away for the past several days combing through every piece of ancient literature they could get their hands on. She'd gone stir-crazy because of him, and he was going to hear about it. She stopped less than two feet away from the motionless hybrid and pointed an accusatory finger at him. He was so close she could see the faint stubble along his jaw and smell the slight earthy musk he gave off. The rich scent invaded her nostrils and clouded her head for just a moment before she shook the muddled feeling off, her anger toward him overwhelming everything else.

"You think you're big wolf on campus Klaus, but I've got news for you – you aren't! You can't go marching around barking orders at people and expect them to just drop everything and do whatever you say. Do you think breathing down our necks will help get anything done faster? Because I know I definitely research ways to kill undead, immortal vampires best when I've got an undead, immortal hybrid hovering over me, micromanaging the way I turn the page! We have lives that _don't_ revolve around things like creating armies and trying to become the most powerful thing on the planet, okay?! So why don't you just get out of here, go back to your big spooky mansion and leave us alone!"

Caroline had noticed Klaus' eyes widening slightly during her rant, but before he got the chance to open his mouth to respond she spun on her heel and strode purposefully out of the room, leaving him standing there staring at her retreating form.

* * *

Klaus was, for a moment, dumbfounded. Who was this spitfire who had the gall to question him? It was as though she was entirely ignorant of the fact that he could dispatch her at a moment's notice if he felt so inclined. The thought sparked the most miniscule of twinges in his chest, but he pushed it aside sternly. She was _nothing_. Of the collection of supernatural beings currently residing in Mystic Falls, she was probably the least valuable to him. Aside from that doppelganger tart the Salvatore brothers were forever mooning over, of course…

He could literally rip her heart from her chest before she had a chance to blink, and he wouldn't think twice about it. She _knew _he could kill her. So why did Miss Caroline Forbes continue to push him? His wide eyes narrowed quite suddenly, a frown playing at the corners of his mouth.

He _could _kill her. But would he? Did she believe he wouldn't because he had shown her mercy a time or two before?

That was it.

Klaus' expression darkened as he turned himself toward the doorway Caroline had disappeared through. She believed he _wouldn't _kill her; therefore she could get away with insolence such as this.

Well, he'd just have to show her otherwise.

He moved to follow her, allowing a slight tinge of yellow to leak into his normally dark blue eyes.

Bonnie saw Klaus' demeanor change from stunned to murderous in a matter of seconds, and alarm bells began going off in her head. If she didn't do something right now Klaus was going to go full psycho-hybrid on her friend and this time she had a feeling he wouldn't show her the same forgiveness he had in the past.

"I found something!" She snatched a random scroll from atop the mountain of paper she and Caroline had yet to read through and stood up with it clutched in her fist, "I found something that's going to help you."

Klaus paused.

His eyes faded back to normal and he turned toward the witch, his curiosity sparked.

Surely finding a way to kill Silas was more of a priority than teaching a flighty blonde vampire a lesson in manners. A haughty grin spread across his face as he walked slowly over to the nervous girl gripping the piece of parchment that would put an end to all this Silas foolishness. When he stood close enough that her rapid heartbeat sounded like thunder in his ears, he extended a long-fingered hand toward her.

Bonnie glanced at his outstretched hand. His expectant look caused her nerves to skyrocket.

She gulped and sent up a silent prayer to her Grams as she placed the now wrinkled scrap of paper in Klaus' hand, careful not to touch him as she did.

He smirked at her and smoothed its curling edges tenderly, his eyes scanning its contents.

Bonnie held her breath.

His expression lost all humour as he read the words in front of him. His brows furrowed and his mouth stretched into a grim line.

Bonnie closed her eyes and gathered her magic around her. She would defend herself if she needed too, to hell with Stefan's truce. She could feel the energy drifting lazily all throughout the house, like seaweed in a soft current. She drew it to her, surrounding herself with a churning sea of hungry magic. She looked up to regard the unsuspecting hybrid with fierce eyes, ready to unleash the dam she had built with the slightest provocation.

His pleased façade was so shocking to her that her control wavered for a split second, allowing a stray tendril of power to escape and crackle harshly.

Klaus looked up from the scroll, his eyes meeting Bonnie's, unfazed by the sizzling aura gathered around her. His lips twitched,

"My, my, little witch. It seems as though you have found something indeed."

Ignoring her confused look, Klaus turned and strode from the room, leaving Bonnie to gape after him.

* * *

After she stormed out of Bonnie's dining room, Caroline had become painfully aware that she had only left for dramatic effect in an attempt to drive her point home to Klaus. She couldn't very well go back in there; she'd look like a complete idiot!

So instead, she continued on her path and made her way outside onto Bonnie's front porch and took a seat on her bench swing. She sat there hands clenched in her lap for what seemed like an eternity.

Caroline worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She shouldn't have left Bonnie alone in there with him. It didn't help that Bonnie's wards had made it impossible for her to hear anything that was going on inside. Her friend had proved more than capable of taking care of herself but it still made Caroline extremely anxious to think that she was in the same room as Klaus. Klaus, the blood-thirsty hybrid she'd probably just royally pissed off…

Caroline rushed toward the front door and reached her hand toward the knob-

Just as Klaus pushed it open with a self-satisfied smirk upon his face.

Caroline flinched back in surprise, crossing her arms across her chest and planting her feet stubbornly,

"What did you do to Bonnie?" She demanded.

In a flash Klaus had her pressed up against the wall, his hand wrapped firmly around her pale throat. Caroline fought futilely against his iron grip, her hands scrabbling at his, the veins around her eyes darkening in her panic. She snapped at him with her now razor sharp incisors as he chuckled darkly at her attempts to escape. A firm squeeze of his hand ended her struggling and Caroline's red eyes shot to meet his. Message received.

Klaus leaned forward slowly.

Caroline watched, a cold feeling of dread settling into the pit of her stomach. This was it. This was how she died. In her infinite stupidity she had pissed off a volatile werewolf-vampire hybrid and he was about to tear out her heart because of it. Or maybe he would just bite her and leave her to die slowly while she suffered through the hallucinations and fever. Again.

That sounded decidedly more Klaus-like.

He had done it once before, already. Caroline couldn't remember much from the night Klaus had stabbed and bitten her in an attempt to get back at Tyler for trying to kill him. She remembered the stabbing and the biting all right, but everything after she had started feeling its symptoms had been a fuzzy mess. All she knew for sure was that he had, for one reason or another, changed his mind about killing her and gave her some of his blood. She had woken up to Tyler whispering comforting words in her ear and stroking her hair while she lay in Elena's living room, wondering how on earth she was alive.

Klaus' proximity drew Caroline from her reverie with a jolt. His face was next to hers now, so close she could feel his breath on her neck as he brought his mouth up to her ear. His chest was barely a breath away from hers, radiating a heat so fierce Caroline was certain he must have some sort of fever. The hostile hand at her throat felt like it was burning against her cool skin. His rich scent bombarded her senses, something earthy and natural with a hint of spice to it. It was making her head swim. As she closed her eyes and awaited the feeling of his fist plunging into her chest, all she could think about was how intoxicating her executioner smelt.

Caroline held her breath and waited.

And waited.

And waited...

This really shouldn't be taking so long.

Klaus' grip on her throat loosened and she felt rather than heard him grin against her neck, his breath whispering into her golden curls, and he shifted ever so slightly against her in warning,

"You should learn not to wag your tongue at those who are capable of ripping it out, sweetheart."

And then he was gone.

* * *

Klaus sat in his drawing room later that night, several bottles deep in incredibly expensive cognac. He was slouched lazily in a lavish leather chair, an ornate glass grasped loosely between his fingers. He raised the crystal to his lips and took another swig of the amber liquid, grimacing slightly as it burned a fiery trail down his throat.

He allowed his head to fall back and his eyes to close as he relished in the dull, fuzzy feeling caused by the excessive amount of alcohol he had consumed. Klaus mused over the thought that the older he got the more he found himself enjoying the sluggish, weightless feeling being astonishingly intoxicated brought him. Wasn't liquor a young vampire's crutch? Before they'd fully embraced their blood-lust, most of the undead turned to the numbing effects of the drink in an attempt to forget their newfound wrongdoings.

He upended his glass and tipped the remaining contents into his mouth before he released it with a dull thud onto the lush carpet beneath his feet. He allowed a long, tired sigh to escape between his lips as he rubbed his hands over his face groggily.

What on earth had happened today?

When he'd decided to stop by the little witch's house to check on her progress, the last thing he had expected to endure when he got there was a vicious scolding. He had almost felt like a child who'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar, it was incredibly uncharacteristic. Klaus stared out the nearby window, the muddled gears of his mind whirring considerably slower than usual. He ran his hands through his hair, ending the motion by clasping them behind his neck comfortably.

Uncharacteristic couldn't even begin to cover how he'd been acting as of late.

Klaus scowled to himself as he was reminded of his recent behaviour.

He had not only permitted a certain maddening young blonde to berate him in front of another subordinate, but she'd subsequently been allowed to keep her heart in her chest and her head attached to her shoulders.

What was _wrong _with him?

The hybrid groaned audibly.

He had been entirely prepared to dispose of her in the most brutal possible manner he could come up with until…

Klaus unclasped his hands and stood swiftly, striding over to the garbage can near the door and fishing something from its depths. Pulling out the small paper ball from the bin, he shook his head at the memory of how carelessly he had discarded it.

He should have known better.

He walked over to his desk and splayed his fingers across the surface of the piece of paper Bonnie had given him, keeping the ball of paper clutched in his fist.

Until she had been pinned up against the front of the house. Until he had her creamy throat clenched between his fingers. Until her intoxicating scent had invaded his nostrils, blocking out all of his senses and causing him to forget the reason for their proximity in the first place. Until he had felt her hair brush up against his face alluringly. Until he had felt her writhing against him in terror, and all he had been able to focus on was how much he wanted to feel her writhe against him as a result of another, very different sentiment.

Klaus grit his teeth as his body stirred at the memory of her lithe figure pressed up against him.

He slowly un-balled the scrap of paper he had retrieved from the bin and regarded his careful sketch of a familiar golden haired beauty.

The flat rendition didn't do her justice.

He tore his eyes away from the drawing to focus on the parchment he had taken from the witch. On it's surface was what looked to be a hastily drawn scribble of two short horizontal lines intersected by a long diagonal one next to a circle with a smaller circle drawn inside it. And next to those two symbols was one that looked almost like the lit wick of a candle. Klaus's blue eyes studied the scrap of stained paper with a fierceness not often seen in his normally stoic features.

This was what was going to help him end Silas. Klaus grinned to himself. Funny how a bit of paper could be the ultimate undoing of such a powerful being.

His eyes alighted once more on the picture of Caroline and he studied it thoroughly; the satire of his last thought was not lost on him.

He scoffed loudly, sweeping both pieces of paper into an open drawer of his desk before pushing it closed indignantly with a loud _bang_.

The was a world of difference between himself and Silas. Klaus paced back and forth across the room slowly, allowing his muddled thoughts to roam freely. He may have had questionable intentions in regards to a few things in the past - locking his siblings up in boxes being on the more outlandish side of the spectrum - but never had he felt the desire to literally open the gates of hell itself. It was preposterous. He turned to plop back down in his favourite arm chair, his eyes settling on the few remaining coals burning low and hot in the hearth in front of him. Just because he also happened to be an ancient, nearly immortal supernatural being did not mean he had anything in common with that monster.

Klaus furrowed his brow, startled at where his own thoughts had lead him.

Wasn't he a monster himself? A monster who was willing to do anything and everything it took to get whatever he wanted...

His eyes flitted briefly to the large oaken desk before rebounding back to the crimson glow in the fireplace.

She was nothing more than a passing amusement; a temporary entertainment born out of the sheer monotony of the past thousand years. That was all. He could allow himself a brief distraction once every several hundred years or so, couldn't he? It wasn't as if it was anything at all really; his mild interest in her had probably risen purely from her aversion to him. It wasn't every day someone said no, or 'why don't you just go back to your big spooky mansion and leave us alone' to him. It was oddly stimulating.

That was it.

Klaus allowed a smug, self-satisfied smile to adorn his features as he settled back into his seat.

He was a hunter. A predator. She was his prey.

All he really wanted was the chase, and once he had his fill-

A dark light danced in his eyes as visions of bloodshed filled his head.

His fill.

Klaus was not a generous man; he had never been fond of sharing.

His fill would undoubtedly include finishing her as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Again, so sorry, so sorry... I actually _hate _writing in the document editor, its terrible. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really love the feedback! Also- seeing as how I've been writing on a program that doesn't have spell check, please tell me if I've made any mistakes. Thanks, and enjoy chapter three!

* * *

"Well _someone_ has got to come with me, otherwise who knows what sort of trouble I'll get myself into?" Klaus regarded the wary group in front of him contemptuously, "Isn't that right?"

His knowing smirk hid the tension of his impatience quite well. Their debating had been going in circles for the past hour, and he had been growing increasingly tired of it all. One person's thoughts would piggyback onto another's, and so on and so fourth until they were back to the beginning; which lucky vampire would enjoy the pleasure of accompanying him on a cross country road-trip to track down the one person who may be able to identify the origin of the hieroglyphics the witch had discovered?

The answer was obvious to him.

His eyes roved over Caroline's seated figure yet again. She was sitting on the floor with her back leaned up against the front of the couch, curiously bare feet tucked snugly beneath her. Whenever she shifted to argue heatedly with whichever unlucky Salvatore had provoked her temper, he would catch a glimpse of their pale soles. She seemed much smaller down there, arranged so comfortably on the plush patterned rug of his sitting room floor. Klaus' eyes darkened fervently as thoughts of how she would look strewn across it in contented exhaustion, a heated pink flush across her cheeks that spread all the way down to her-

"Hello? Anybody home in there?" Damon's brusque drawl promptly drew him from his delectable musings. His expression morphed into one of extreme irritation as he made a mental note to introduce the eldest Salvatore brother to the feeling of his heart leaving his chest sometime in the near future.

"Well? Have you lot decided then?" he demanded as he looked expectantly at the three vampires.

He was sure his blonde vixen - since when had he begun referring to her as 'his'- would be accompanying him on the harrowing journey. An exceedingly simple process of elimination had brought him to that conclusion ages ago; if only the uncertain looking trio in front of him had been so efficient. Damon would insist on staying behind with his beloved Elena, and Stefan wouldn't be able to bare the thought of the two of them being left unsupervised for more than twelve minutes, so that left only one choice...

The corner of Klaus' mouth twitched upward. The prospect of having Caroline to himself for an undetermined amount of days, and nights, was perilously appealing to him. Who knew how long it would take to hunt down his contact and extract the appropriate information from them? However long that was, it would be ample time to entertain his newfound interest in her. Perhaps a day or two in her presence would be enough to purge her from his system. Young vampires tended to get on his nerves quicker than most; Rebekah once said- rather, _shouted_ some blither about their immaturity rivaling his own, but then she had quite suddenly found herself with a dagger in her chest and the moment was lost.

"Damon."

His eyes found Caroline's.

"What was that love?"

"Damon is going with you," she said indifferently.

Well. Maybe it wasn't as obvious a choice as he had thought. To his credit, Klaus' reaction to the less than favourable news gave the impression that he couldn't care less who they chose to accompany him. No one needed to know about the shred of disappointment he felt as the promise of being alone with his newest plaything came screeching to a halt...

"Well it took you long enough didn't it," he said nonchalantly as he rose form his seat, "Right then, be ready to leave in an hour- and don't keep me waiting." Klaus' eyes flashed dangerously toward the vampire lounging in an irritatingly casual way on his leather couch. It was a silent warning intended solely for Damon Salvatore, but out of the corner of his eye he watched as Caroline swallowed and glanced around nervously.

As Klaus strode purposefully from the room, leaving his company to their own devices, he couldn't help the feeling of smug gratification that spread through his chest.

No more snarky comments.

No more scathing glares.

No more belittling retorts.

It appeared as though his admonition had been more effective than he had originally anticipated.

It really was such a shame Caroline wouldn't be accompanying him. Her newly discovered passivity would have been incredibly entertaining; not to mention he was now itching to experiment with how far her uncharacteristic obedience stretched. Submission was the term that immediately came to mind.

Klaus sighed lightly as he reached the door to his bedroom, shaking his head sternly to banish any incongruous thoughts from forming as he pushed it open easily. He considered everything he and _Damon_ would need to accomplish in the coming days, the thought of it all making him weary.

The fact that not only did he have to track down a werewolf he hadn't spoken to in over three hundred years, but he had to do so with the help of Damon Salvatore of all people...

Klaus grumbled incoherently to himself as he filled a bag with clothes and other necessities.

This certainly was not what he'd signed up for.

* * *

Caroline watched cheerfully as Klaus and Damon pulled out of the drive way and sped off. The farther they got, the lighter her mood became; they took with them all the aggravation and stress they brought into her life; for now, at least, she was free of Sir Arrogant-Blockhead and Lord Bipolar-Jackass. An involuntary smile spread across her face and she giggled to herself as she realized she wasn't sure which 'term of endearment' belonged to whom.

Ever since her minor freak out at Bonnie's and the resulting near death experience on the front porch, her mood had been... tense, to say the least. She'd been constantly looking over her shoulder; every little shadow or unfamiliar noise was Klaus coming to tear her head off for her impunity. It was exhausting. Between that and Bonnie's newfound obsession with finding out where that scrap of paper she'd given to Klaus had come from, she hadn't had a good night's sleep in over a week.

Speaking of Klaus...

The faintest of flushes dusted Caroline's freckled cheeks as she unwillingly recalled the encounter between herself and Klaus. He had scared her senseless that day at Bonnie's when he'd had her up against the house, completely defenseless. For a moment she had been absolutely certain he was going to kill her. Her undead heart had been in her throat. So much for that soft spot he was supposedly harboring for her. The blonde vampire shivered unconsciously. Scared wasn't the only thing she had felt on the porch though...

The feeling of his solid frame pressed up against her so firmly was fresh in her mind; the memory of his breath in her hair, the electrifying thrill she'd felt from simply being in such close proximity with someone as powerful as him. She had felt, alive. Her skin had burned where he touched her, her breaths ragged and shallow. And that smell... That earthy, musky, heady scent that had been haunting the few dreams she'd had since that day. She knew heightened senses were part of the territory when it came to being a vampire, but come on. It was _Klaus_. Crazy, evil, murderous Klaus. And she had been...what? Anxious? Excited? Excited for what though?

It must have been some sort of involuntary 'I'm about to die, oh God, focus on something else' response. That was it. Caroline grinned to herself, satisfied. It was only natural, she had been genuinely convinced that had been the last moment of her undead life, so of course she would go into panic mode and try to think about anything other than her impending doom. Caroline shook her head to clear it; how could she have been so silly as to think anything otherwise?

Her sharp eyes finally lost sight of the car, its departure seeming to lift a weight off her shoulders she hadn't known was there. Caroline released a relaxed sigh.

"Happy to see my brother gone, are you?" Rebekah's lilting voice reached her ears and she turned to see the blonde Original standing on an ornate balcony above the front doors, leaning lazily on the low rail. She raised a perfectly sculpted eye brow, "Funny, I'd say his sentiments are the exact opposite."

Caroline scowled, ignoring her comment, and moved toward the lavish entryway- she'd forgotten about the younger Mikaelson. While Klaus was without a doubt the most malicious person Caroline had ever encountered, his baby sister was a close second. In a flash Rebekah was standing in front of her, blocking her path. Caroline stumbled back in surprise and glared at the Original as vehemently as she dared,

"What do you want Rebekah?"

Her question was met with a patronizing smirk, "Didn't Nik tell you? I'm your official babysitter until he gets back."

Caroline's jaw dropped open in a way she was sure was incredibly unattractive. "_Excuse me?"_ She spluttered, "What do you mean my _babysitter_?_" _

"Who's a babysitter?" Stefan called as he appeared in the doorway behind Rebekah, who's smile widened at his inquiry. Caroline swore she could almost hear the evil cackling that usually accompanied the look of malevolent glee now adorning the Original's delicate features.

"My brother has charged me with keeping an eye on you two," she turned to address Stefan, leaving an indignant Caroline to gape at her back, "You know, make sure you don't go off scheming without him."

She began walking toward Stefan slowly, "Now, while I'm entirely on board with the whole 'get rid of Silas' affair, I am not _at all_ pleased to be given the diligent duty of watching the two of you. Don't get into anything I'm going to have to get you out of," Rebekah stopped in front of him, her hands on her hips to emphasize the seriousness of her words, "Capiche?"

Without waiting for an answer, Rebekah sauntered past Stefan and into the mansion, tossing her golden locks over her shoulder as she disappeared into its vast depths.

Caroline, who was still recovering from her initial shock at the idea of being babysat by Rebekah, felt her phone vibrate abruptly in her pocket. She reached for it as she shared a look with Stefan. Clearly his sentiments mirrored her own; just because big-bad Klaus was no longer in the neighborhood didn't mean they were going to get in any sort of trouble. If anything, his absence made Mystic Falls much safer.

Her phone vibrated impatiently in her hand and she looked down at the screen, annoyed. It was a message from Bonnie;

FOUND IT.

Maybe she'd spoken too soon about the whole 'not getting into trouble' agreement.

* * *

"Ninety-seven baggies of blood on the wall, ninety-seven baggies of blood! You take one down, pass it around; Ninety-six baggies of blood on the wall. Ninety-six baggies of blood on the wall, ninety-six baggies of blood-"

"I said stop singing that moronic song."

"...You take one down, pass it around-"

"Stop."

"Ninety-five baggies of blood on the-"

_CRACK_

Damon promptly lost interest in singing; perhaps it was the amicable cervical fracture Klaus had so generously bestowed upon him that did the trick.

The hybrid breathed a sigh of relief.

They had surprisingly spent the majority of their twenty eight hour car ride in silence, with only one or two quips from Damon regarding where they were going or who they were looking for. After being vehemently ignored by Klaus, he had given up on small talk and chose instead to glare stubbornly out the window, watching as hundreds of miles of forest, then field, then finally the foothills of the Wind River mountain range speed by.

Too bad he wouldn't be conscious for the grande finale.

Wyoming was not where Klaus wanted to be.

Wyoming wasn't even on the list of places Klaus would at any point in his eternal life consider possibly glancing at a picture of.

Yet there he was, having spent far too many hours cooped up in a car with Damon Salvatore on some decrepit, abandoned highway outside a one-pony town, drawing closer and closer to what would surely feel like an endless trek up into the snow capped mountains. And all of it was in order to find someone who may or may not be sequestered away in a tiny little log cabin at the top of one of those soon to be climbed peaks. Wolverine Peak, if he remembered correctly.

The corner of his mouth turned upward slightly at the irony.

They drove on in silence, Damon's head lolling gruesomely on his limp neck whenever the car hit a bump. As the mountains rose higher and higher over the hood of the car, climbing endlessly into the sky in front of him, Klaus found himself wondering whether or not they would ever find what they were looking for in such a vast expanse of wilderness.

After about an hour, Klaus turned the car off the main road and onto a small dirt track that disappeared into the thick tree line. The rough jarring of the unkempt trail soon woke Damon from his injury induced coma. He groaned loudly as the vehicle hit a particularly deep pot hole. His icy blue eyes flickered open, taking in their present surroundings, and a look of agitated confusion crossed his face.

"Where in the world are we?"

Klaus glanced over as the cranky vampire rubbed his neck, "We're here."

The road had come to an end in front of them, dense foliage taking over in place of the gravel they were driving on. Klaus parked the car and took the key out of the ignition. Damon's bewilderment became more apparent,

"Here? What do you mean here? There's nothing here. Here doesn't exist, because here is the middle of nowhere. There isn't even any more road."

Klaus got out of the car and Damon followed suit, still slightly dazed from his rough awakening. The ancient hybrid turned to him and regarded the thick curtain of trees surrounding them,

"Look's like we'll have to walk from here."

Damon turned to look incredulously at him, "_Walk?_ Walk where?"

Klaus gestured to the large, imposing mountain that rose steeply in front of them.

Damon's face fell, his expression becoming one similar to a child that's just found out their favorite toy has been taken away, "Walk...Up there?"

Klaus nodded grimly, "Walk. Up there."

The two men stood for a moment, scrutinizing the apparent wall of brush before them. Damon rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck from side to side and swinging his arms back and fourth. He took a few steps forward before shooting a challenging look over his shoulder at his motionless companion,

"Good thing we're vampires then, isn't it?" And with that, he shot forward, disappearing with blinding speed into the thicket.

He allowed himself a small smile, waiting a few moments to provide Damon with a head start. Crouching down slightly, he dug his feet into the earth beneath him, testing the traction; Klaus closed his eyes and took a deep, drawn out breath, testing the air for any familiar scents. He zeroed in on the distinct smell of Damon gave off,

"Let's not forget mate," he opened his now yellow eyes, the wolf within him flexing it's claws, "I'm a hybrid."

In a flash, he was gone; leaving only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves overhead to fall upon deaf ears.

* * *

Caroline knocked lightly on Bonnie's front door.

She'd left Stefan at the Mikaelson estate to keep Rebekah busy while she sorted out the whole 'FOUND IT' message and its resulting cell phone silence from her best friend. Stefan was obviously less than thrilled with that plan, but he eventually conceded after seeing the sense in it. Rebekah was infinitely more fond of him than she was of Caroline; If she sensed something was up, she'd probably just snap Caroline's neck and hunt Stefan down on her own. At least with him there Caroline would receive a heads up if something was amiss.

She glanced around nervously. It was extremely uncharacteristic of Bonnie to ignore the countless messages and calls she had sent her on the drive over; she was like any other girl their age with her phone glued to her palm. If she had gotten impatient waiting for her to her there and went out on her own...

Caroline began knocking furiously. By the fifth rap of her knuckles the door swung open under her hand and she was greeted by the sight of Bonnie standing just inside the threshold , a look of barely contained excitement on her face.

"Jeez Bonnie why weren't you answering your phone?" Caroline asked, relieved to see her friend alive and in one piece. With Silas on the loose these days you could never be too careful.

The witch shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips, reaching out to grab Caroline's arm and pull her inside. She slammed the door behind them and locked it, magically and otherwise. Caroline looked at her friend like she'd grown a second head,

"Bon seriously, what is going on with you?"

The witch turned, a triumphant gleam in her eyes, "I found it."

Caroline rolled her own baby blues and crossed her arms over her chest, "Yeah I figured as much from that incredibly informative message you sent me. Really, you need to learn to be less wordy, just get to the point next time," she said sarcastically, "What exactly did you find?"

Bonnie grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the house, whispering incantations as they went. Caroline shivered uncomfortably, allowing herself to be lead down the hall. While she was often incredibly thankful to have a witch as powerful as Bonnie on her side, being this close to her while she was casting spells and doing other voo-dooey things made her anxious.

Vampire's were not magical creatures, a fact she was painfully aware of as the tendrils of Bonnie's spells brushed up against her, invisible to the naked eye.

It was making her skin crawl.

While witches were strongly linked to their environment and often drew their power directly from nature, vampires were, in the natural world, an abomination. They were everything _un_natural wrapped up in a neat little blood sucking package; nearly indestructible have an aversion to sunlight, live forever, excessively strong and fast- the ultimate predator.

The girls ended up in Bonnie's kitchen, which was darkened as all the blinds on the windows were shut. Odd...

In the late afternoon gloom Caroline would make out piles of old scrolls and ancient looking books piled on every flat surface available; it looked as though a literary bomb had gone off in there. Bonnie released her hand and walked quickly over to the sink, motioning for Caroline to follow her.

The blonde vampire walked over carefully and looked down.

There, in Bonnie Bennett's kitchen sink, was-

Caroline frowned.

A wet piece of parchment?

Her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What am I supposed to be seeing here? It just looks like some soggy paper..."

Bonnie reached a hand up to the draw string of the blind covering the window above the sink and pulled. The afternoon sun shone in through the glass, bathing the two girls in it's warm, amber glow.

A searing pain raced across Caroline's skin, white hot and unforgiving. She cried out and flashed away from the open window, her arms and face sizzling from the contact with the sun. Stars flashed behind her closed eye lids as she grit her teeth in pain, every movement feeling like there were white hot blades cutting through her skin. She opened her eyes and watched, grimacing, as the raw skin on her hands and arms slowly healed itself, ending up slightly pinker than usual. She looked up at her friend angrily,

"What the hell was that?!"

The young witch's mouth was agape as she allowed the blinds to fall closed; she looked as confused as Caroline felt.

"I-I don't know," she stuttered, "Are you wearing your ring?"

"Of course I'm wearing my ring!" Caroline shot back, holding up her right hand to display the delicate blue stone set in an ornate silver band, "How else would i have gotten here?!"

She looked around frantically for any more windows that had the potential to burst open and flash fry her. Bonnie's eyes widened in realization and her mouth formed a small 'o' as she watched her friend search for any other immediate threats. When she was satisfied that her position was far enough from all the windows to be deemed relatively safe, Caroline looked up to see Bonnie's expression morph into one of sheepish apology. The blonde vampire narrowed her blue eyes suspiciously,

"Bonnie..."

"'I'm sorry! After Klaus got in here I amped up the protection spells to make sure no one could get in! I guess I just went a little overboard..."

"You think? A little warning next time would be nice!" Caroline snapped, taking a few cautious steps toward her, careful to avoid where the sunlight had touched just moments ago. She stopped next to the sink, hidden from the window behind a now of cupboards.

"I'm really really sorry Care, I didn't think it would mess with your ring! I wouldn't have even brought you here- god that was so stupid of me! I'm so sorry I-"

Caroline held up a hand to quiet her, "It's okay Bonnie, really. Just please show me whatever it is you need to show me so I can get the heck out of here."

Bonnie nodded and turned toward the window once more. Caroline winced as she drew the blind up, shrinking back against the wall away from the beaming sunlight in front of her. Bonnie gestured to the paper sitting in the sink,

"Look."

The wonder in her voice made Caroline forget the danger of the suns rays for a moment. She leaned forward slowly until the parchment came into view. There, on it's previously blank surface, were a few faint scribbles. They were hard to make out, but they looked almost like-

"The symbols on the paper I gave Klaus!" Bonnie said excitedly, "Now watch."

She reached a hand out to turn on the tap and Caroline's eyes widened, "Bonnie wait-"

Water cascaded down onto the old weathered piece of paper, soaking its surface and obscuring the hieroglyphics from view.

"Bonnie stop! What're you doing?! You're going to ruin it!"

An amused smile played at the corners of Bonnie's mouth, "Just trust me."

Caroline didn't dare reach out to turn off the tap while the blinds were still open, so she was resigned to watch helplessly as the water washed away the ink on the page. Bonnie reached out and turned the tap back off, keeping her dark eyes fixed fiercely on the bottom of the sink. Caroline followed her line of sight and what she saw made her inhale sharply.

Where there had previously been next to nothing, the page was now filled with bold symbols. Some of the were familiar, she saw a few that looked like the ones Bonnie had found originally, but most of them were completely alien to her. They were drawn almost artfully across the page, and in the bottom corner there even seemed to be some sort of archaic map. There was a water fall, some trees and what looked like a cave; with some stairs leading down to it...

"Is that... a cellar?" Caroline asked curiously, "It looks like the Lockwood Cellar in the woods, next to the falls..." She trailed off, the significance of what Bonnie had found hitting her full force.

"You found a map," She stated.

"I found _the_ map," Bonnie grinned.

"Of Mystic Falls?"

"Of Mystic Falls."

"With symbols that may have to do with figuring out a way to kill Silas?" Caroline squealed. The question of how exactly Bonnie had figured out she needed to wet the paper in order to read it arose in her head, "But how-?"

"It was a complete accident," Bonnie said, seeming to read her mind, "I was standing right there, flipping through the pages and I put them down to get a drink. There was some water on the counter and when they got wet I thought they were ruined so I hung them up in front of the window to dry off. It was only when the sun hit them that I saw the writing."

Caroline was still confused, "But water? Why would they make it so it has to get wet before you read them?"

Bonnie's smile widened, "Vervain."

Her statement was met with a blank stare. She grabbed the paper from the sink and held it up to the light streaming through the window, "The town's water supply is still spiked with vervain, remember? And look, the symbols only show up when it's under direct sunlight!" She moved the paper toward Caroline and into the shadow cast by the cupboards. As soon as the light was no longer touching the paper the words disappeared entirely; she moved her hand back into the sun and they appeared once more. "So whoever drew this map had it spelled so it can only be read when it comes into contact with vervain and sunlight simultaneously. Its actually pretty amazing."

Caroline beamed at her friend, "You've found a map that's supposed to be unreadable to vampires. I'd say that sounds pretty promising considering we're looking for ways to kill the oldest one on the planet."

Bonnie lowered the blinds, causing the writing on the paper to disappear. The two friends shared a long look.

Bonnie spoke first,

"So, what do we do now?"

Caroline shrugged, shaking her head in disbelief at their good luck thus far.

"I guess we follow it."


End file.
